Top 10 Worst Microsoft Products Ever

Summary

The video counts down Microsoft products that failed or were widely disliked, starting with the annoying Clippy assistant. It continues with Windows tools like Genuine Advantage and MSN TV that had critical flaws. Other Microsoft gadget flops highlighted include the Microsoft Band, Windows Phone, and Zune music player. The video also calls out software like Windows Vista for poor reception and Internet Explorer 6 for security issues. Despite efforts to compete with Apple and Google, Microsoft has released many products that missed the mark with consumers and developers.

Takeaways

• 😟 Clippy, the Office Assistant paperclip, was intended to provide helpful suggestions but quickly became annoying and unhelpful
• 😠 Windows Genuine Advantage backfired spectacularly by triggering false positives and rendering PCs barely usable
• 😴 MSN TV attempted to bring the internet to TVs but failed to achieve mass adoption
• 📉 The Microsoft Band fitness devices sold quickly at first but were soon discontinued due to high prices and strong competition
• ☎️ Windows Phone failed to surpass iOS and Android despite acquisitions like Nokia due to copying the unsuccessful Windows 8 interface
• 🎪 Microsoft Bob presented an animated living room interface but was doomed by hardware requirements and a goofy interface
• 🔒 Internet Explorer 6's security flaws and incompatibilities plagued it despite high market share
• 😫 Windows Vista received mixed reviews and criticism around hardware requirements and new features
• 🎧 The Zune media player attempted to compete with the iPod but failed due to Apple's stronghold on the portable music market
• 📱 The Microsoft Kin social networking phones lasted only 48 days and lacked basic features like calendars and contact lists

Q & A

What was Clippy and why was it so disliked?

Clippy was an animated paperclip assistant introduced in Microsoft Office to provide helpful suggestions. It often interrupted users unnecessarily and became very annoying, leading Microsoft to remove it in Office 2007.

What was the goal behind Windows Genuine Advantage?

Windows Genuine Advantage was meant to detect illegal/pirated copies of Windows running on PCs. It aimed to ensure PCs were properly licensed but often falsely flagged legitimate systems, rendering them barely usable.

How did Microsoft attempt to bring the internet to TVs in the 1990s?

Microsoft bought a web TV service and rebranded it in 2001 as MSN TV, which allowed people to access the internet and features like email on their televisions. It failed to gain mass adoption and was shut down in 2013.

Why did the Microsoft Band wearable device fail?

Despite strong initial sales, the Microsoft Band struggled due to high prices, lack of features compared to rivals like Fitbit, and Microsoft's inability to compete with more established players in the fitness wearables market.

What made Internet Explorer 6 so infamous?

IE6 was notorious for security flaws, lack of web standards support, and months-long delays in fixing vulnerabilities - despite having over 90% browser market share at its peak due to Windows bundling.

How did Windows Vista compare to Windows XP?

After the success of XP, Vista was plagued by a difficult development, high hardware demands,Annoying new features like UAC, and many performance issues. Most welcomed its 2009 replacement Windows 7.

What was Microsoft Bob and why did it fail?

Bob was an early 1990s attempt to replace the Windows desktop with an interactive living room. It featured cartoon characters to help guide users but had complex hardware needs. It was discontinued within a year.

Why couldn't the Zune compete with the iPod?

Apple had a stronghold on portable music players. The Zune tried copying the iPod too late, with an interface and features most users weren't interested in. Microsoft couldn't catch up.

What was the Microsoft Kin?

The Kin was a short-lived 2010 attempt at a social networking-focused mobile device. It completely failed due to lacking key features expected of smartphones and was discontinued within months.

What product disappointed users by not delivering on advertised promises?

Microsoft claimed Windows 98 would be faster, more efficient, and provide better Internet access than prior versions. It failed to deliver on these promises, disappointing many users.

Outlines

00:00

😆 Clippy and Other Early Microsoft Fails

Paragraph 1 discusses Clippy, the annoying and unhelpful Microsoft Office assistant introduced in the 1990s. It was supposed to provide help but users found it irritating. Microsoft eventually removed Clippy in Office 2007.

05:01

😠 Windows Genuine Advantage Backfired

Paragraph 2 covers Windows Genuine Advantage, an anti-piracy tool by Microsoft. It often falsely flagged legitimate copies of Windows as pirated. This caused issues for users and Microsoft eventually replaced it after Windows 7.

Keywords

💡Microsoft products

The video focuses on products made by Microsoft that failed or were criticized. The list includes software like Windows Vista and hardware like the Microsoft Band. Examples from the script include 'Windows Genuine Advantage' and 'Microsoft Bob'.

💡clippy

Clippy was an infamous Microsoft Office Assistant with an animated paperclip that tried to provide help but often interrupted and annoyed users. The script says it 'quickly became far more annoying and helpful'.

💡Windows phone

Microsoft attempted to compete with iOS and Android smartphones with its own Windows phone platform. But the script explains that 'through several iterations of the Windows phone platform Microsoft proved they couldn't take a desktop OS and put it on a smartphone'.

💡Internet Explorer 6

The video calls Internet Explorer 6 the 'most popular browser at the time of its release' but also says it was plagued by 'security flaws and inconsistent behavior'. Developers criticized it heavily.

💡Windows Vista

Windows Vista was a Microsoft operating system meant to follow Windows XP but had a 'difficult development cycle' and was criticized for high 'Hardware requirements' and a poor user experience, especially compared to XP.

💡Microsoft Bob

Bob was an early attempt by Microsoft to create a visual, interactive user interface with things like a virtual living room. But the script says its 'Goofy interface doomed the product' to failure.

💡Zoom

The Microsoft Zoom was meant to compete with the Apple iPod but failed because, as the script states, 'Apple's stronghold on the portable music Market pretty much doomed this from the beginning'.

💡Microsoft Kin

The Microsoft Kin was a short-lived social networking-focused mobile device. But the script explains it 'originally lasted for 48 days' and lacked key features users wanted like calendars or contact lists.

💡failed products

The overarching theme is Microsoft products, especially software and consumer devices, that failed in the market. The list aims to highlight products that were critical and/or commercial disappointments.

💡consumer technology history

Many of the products like Windows Vista, Internet Explorer 6 and the Zune player relate to key moments in the history of consumer software and technology. The video takes a historical perspective.

Highlights

Clippy was an early attempt by Microsoft to introduce primitive AI suggestive technology into its Office applications

Clippy quickly became far more annoying than helpful to knowledgeable users

Windows Genuine Advantage was a means of detecting illegal copies of Windows but it backfired by triggering false positives

MSN TV was an attempt to bring the internet to TVs but the future was never going to be internet use in front of a TV set

The Microsoft Band was a short-lived fitness device that initially sold well but failed due to high price and lack of features

Windows Phone tried to compete with iOS and Android but failed due to not adapting the desktop OS well to smartphones

Microsoft Bob featured an interactive living room interface but was doomed by hardware requirements and a goofy interface

Internet Explorer 6 had huge market share but was plagued by security flaws and incompatibilities with standards

Windows Vista was meant to follow the successful XP but is considered a failure due to issues like high hardware requirements

The Microsoft Zune was meant to compete with the iPod but failed due to Apple's stronghold on the portable music market

The Microsoft Kin was a failed social networking phone that lacked key features like calendars and contact lists

Clippy was Microsoft's attempt at introducing primitive AI into Office but it quickly became annoying

Windows Genuine Advantage backfired by triggering false positives and rendering PCs barely usable

Windows Phone failed to compete with iOS and Android due to not adapting the desktop OS well

Internet Explorer 6 had huge market share but suffered from security flaws and lack of web standards support

Transcripts

captain now just show me how to work

this thing welcome to watch Mojo and

today we're counting down our picks for

products from Microsoft that were just

plain awful and probably should have

been left on the drawing board plus

Rover is always around to help when you

need

it number 10 clippy officially known as

the office assistant clippy was an early

attempt by Microsoft to introduce

primitive AI suggestive technology into

its office applications would you like

some help I used to help people all day

long remember how helpful I was shown on

screen as an animated paperclip this

assistant would provide suggestions or

attempt to help you while you worked in

Microsoft Office although the intent was

admirable clippy quickly became far more

annoying and helpful is there any way to

turn that moronic paperclip off memo to

Bill Gates if that paperclip pops up one

more time I can't take that thing

anymore I quit knowledgeable users would

often be interrupted in the middle of

their work to be asked if they needed

help when they clearly were fine on

their own go away you paperclip no one

likes you with the release of Office

2007 Microsoft finally put clippy back

in a desk drawer never to be seen again

number nine Windows genuine Advantage

thanks to the miracle of the internet

the ability to download pirated software

has never been easier as a result

companies like Microsoft have tried

putting safeties in place to prevent

such theft Windows genuine Advantage was

a means of detecting illegal copies of

Microsoft Windows running on a PC spun

to customers as a way to ensure their

PCS were fully licensed the program

backfired in a spectacular fashion

anything from firewall software to a

simple Windows update could trigger a

false positive rendering the PC barely

usable by most Microsoft moved on from

the original iteration of this tool

after Windows 7 number eight MSN TV back

in the 1990s the internet was still

relatively new to Consumers it's easy to

set up easy to use this is simple given

that most people Center of entertainment

was in front of a television many

thought that's where the internet should

belong as well web TV networks created

web TV which allowed people to use the

internet on their television Microsoft

bought the service and in 2001 rebranded

it as MSN TV send email on your TV view

photos and slideshows with friends and

family explore new hobbies and see it

all big on your TV as history has now

shown us the future of internet use was

never going to be in front of a TV set

despite the low price point Mass

adoption was never achieved and

Microsoft finally shut down the service

in 2013 all within your comfort zone

number seven Microsoft band the success

of Fitness devices like the Fitbit

inspired many companies to follow suit

with similar options the Microsoft band

was a short-lived attempt at an advanced

Fitness device that was worn on your

wrist now for Fitness you can go running

with this you can go walking you can go

to the gym there are workouts that you

can download onto this compatible with

iOS Android and Windows Phone osis it

seemed like a natural extension of

Microsoft Technology the first first

iteration sold out very quickly giving

Microsoft hope that the product had a

future introducing the Smart Band for

Microsoft for people who want to live

healthier be more

productive and stay connected with the

people and moments that matter most but

the release of Band 2 things slowly went

off a cliff between the high price

points lack of features and a plethora

of well-positioned competitors the

software company gave up on the product

only 2 years after its initial release

with Microsoft band there are no limits

to what you can do so do great things

number six Windows phone it's time for a

phone really really to save us from our

phones PC or Mac Apple or Android Coke

or Pepsi it seems the market will often

steer towards two major brands which

consumers then choose between I think

you clearly have a lot more variety than

Apple has there's really one choice uh

in the Apple in the Apple world big

screen little screen we got a lot of

choices Windows phone was an attempt by

Microsoft to try and surpass their two

biggest competitors a new experience

that keeps your life in motion and lets

you flow seamlessly through integrated

hubs hubs that pull the stuff you want

and bring it all to one place through

several iterations of the Windows phone

platform Microsoft proved they couldn't

take a desktop OS and put it on a

smartphone with Windows 8 having been a

colossal failure copying that interface

to their mobile platform didn't help

increase their adoption rates combined

that with the sheer base of users Google

had even the acquisition of Nokia and

the release of the Lumia line couldn't

help them Reach the top of the market

number five Microsoft Bob long before

the days of Microsoft Windows having a

start menu users really just saw a

collection of icons and folders on the

screen Microsoft Bob was an early

attempt to change that instead of icons

Bob presented an interactive living room

of sorts scattered around the room were

things like a Rolodex a clock pen and

paper and even a calendar cck clicking

on the various items would then launch a

corresponding application it also

featured animated cartoon characters to

help you which eventually did Inspire

the aformentioned clippy no matter what

you need to do Bob makes Computing

easier and more enjoyable than ever

before as creative as it was Bob's

Hardware requirements and Goofy

interface doomed the product the lights

on Bob's room interface went dark less

than a year after release number four

Internet Explorer 6 it may have been the

most popular browser at the time of its

release but that doesn't necessarily

mean it was a success released in 2001

Internet Explorer 6 at its peak had

about 90% of the market share for web

browsers mainly due to being included

with every version of Windows that

amount of users helped illuminate

countless security flaws and

inconsistent behavior that plagued the

software repeatedly Slam by developers

I6 was Notorious for its

incompatibilities with industry

standards that more advanced browsers

were already supporting numerous

dangerous vulnerabilities and I6

security would sometimes take months to

fix leaving users exposed to would be

hackers but 2008 support for ie6 across

the web began to drop signaling the end

of an era number three Windows Vista

what is the most infamous failed

Microsoft operating system Windows 8

Windows m not quite of all the operating

systems the company has released Windows

Vista would have to be considered the

biggest failure on the OS side intended

to be the well anticipated follow-up to

the highly successful Windows XP Vista

never stood a chance in comparison to

its Elders played by a long and

difficult development cycle Vista

received mixed best reviews upon release

some of the biggest criticisms lay

around Hardware requirements the new UAC

system and countless other new features

everyone was happier when Windows 7

finally replaced it in 2009 my new

computer came with Windows

7 Windows 7 is much more userfriendly

than Windows

Vista I don't like that number two Zoom

unless you've seen one on the Guardians

of the Galaxy movies it's very likely

you've never heard of the Microsoft Zoom

there's a lady on there named Alice

Cooper that I like a lot she seems kind

of angry but kind of like stuff how we

felt when we were kids you know

introduced in 2006 the zoom was meant to

be a direct competitor with Apple's iPod

I stood in front of a case of iPods and

I bought a

zoom what's a zoom yep exactly

unfortunately Apple's stronghold on the

portable music Market pretty much doomed

this from the beginning it was a case of

Microsoft trying to play catchup with a

device that users didn't want and an

interface that they weren't interested

in in Microsoft tried their hand again

in the music space with Groove music but

that came and went even quicker than the

zoom did Zoom HD it's a premium portable

entertainment experience before we

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notifications number one Microsoft Kin

never heard of the Microsoft Kin don't

feel bad nobody else has either released

in the summer of 2010 this attempt at a

social networking device originally

lasted for 48 days portrayed as a

messaging and social device its

integration with social networks was

feature deprived and didn't come with

any native instant messaging software

adding insult to injury there was no

calendar to manage your social life or

contact list app to store your friends

details they revamped and relaunched it

again in December of 2010 but even their

new endline of K devices couldn't make

it through another year have you ever

used any of these micr products give us

the lowdown in the comments below you

told us Windows 98 would be faster and

more efficient with better access to the

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